Meanwhile, in an alternate universe
by LoreilDarksky00
Summary: Tumblr Prompt: "If they had been born a different gender, what would change?" Well, if Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal had been females instead, I have a feeling that Genesis would still probably have been aiming for the title of 'best'... That rivalry lives forever, IMO. Quick drabble, really only alternating between alternate Sephiroth's and alternate Genesis' POV.


**Anjess**

 _Commander Genna Rhapsodious is a hothead. A very beautiful and violent one, but her hard work and good-intentioned ambition balance it out… well, slightly. She has the will to go far, and get where she wants to go—mostly. One thing—one person—stands in her way: General Stellaluna Crescent. General Crescent (often referred to as General Luna, due to the general lack of knowledge of her surname) is cold, a soldier in all aspects; constantly ready in all situations, always calculative and poised to strike. She's as efficient as she is icily gorgeous, and though she is one of few words, she always makes herself perfectly clear. As irony would have it, they are like fire and ice—always at odds with each other._

 _As a friend to both, I've come to see that their constant hostility has turned into a friendly rivalry—a very intense one, at that. It started approximately twelve years ago, when Genna and I—practically siblings in our closeness—left our hometown to join the ranks of a program called S.S.C., run by a very powerful energy company with influence that spanned across the entire continent and beyond…_

 **Genna**

The entire Complex was flooded. Not with water, but with people. _Like a bunch of roaches_ , Genna thought distastefully as she wove her way through the crowd, Anjess by her side like a wall, discouraging others from staying in their way. Anjess was taller than Genna, by about four inches, and Genna herself was 5'8". Anjess was also built like a concrete barricade, and had the strength to match. Not that she wasn't feminine, hell, the raven-haired cadet had a garden and was out there at five in the morning pruning her roses. However, she was muscular—not overly so, but obvious enough. Genna was just as strong, but she had kept her muscles from being more on the bulky side with different types of exercises.

Shaking her head to clear it, Genna flicked her red bangs out of her face. Her pixie cut stayed out of the way for the most part, but she had been adamant on keeping her side-swept bangs. She made her way to the platform at the front of the wide area inside the Complex and stopped near one of the large pillars that soared up into the skies, where far above rested the Plate (an immense circular disc that separated the Slums from the rest of the city). In the center of the platform stood a young woman that caused everyone to turn and stare.

Tall and slender, the pale girl had startlingly silver hair and vivid, catlike green eyes—slit pupils and all. She couldn't have been much older than Genna, 19 at most. She stood nearly as still as a statue, graceful, most weight resting on her left leg. She looked regally over the crowd, and shifted her weight as she straightened to her full height; she must have been 5'10" at least, without the heels of her combat boots. As she strode to the center of the platform, black trench coat fanning out behind her like the cape of a queen, the entire courtyard of the Complex stilled, and went silent, watching and waiting for this goddess-like figure to speak.

She did not let them wait long.

"I am General Luna of the S.S.C., and Leader of the Elite Special Operations War Unit," she began, her voice a deadly combination of ice and steel. "You are all here to train to be part of either or both of these, and I expect you to train hard. Those who don't will be sent home and not allowed re-entrance to this program. Failure to follow protocol, orders, and instructions will also result in expulsion from the program. Am I understood?"

As per the protocol covered in the informational orientation everyone present had gone through, a very loud and very clear multi-voiced reply was shouted as everyone stepped into sections: "Sir, yes sir!"

Genna couldn't help but say a very sarcastic _"ma'am"_ after the echo had faded. Immediately, like the skilled huntress she clearly was, General Luna's gaze snapped to Genna's location.

Green eyes met her own, and Genna knew sparks would fly—and she looked forward to it, letting that show in her smirk and salute as she and the other cadets finished the recognition of instruction.

 **Stellaluna**

She knew this group would be a problem the moment a fiery redhead and her friend stepped foot into the Complex's courtyard. A problem, she could handle. Stellaluna's real challenge would be getting the rest of the cadets whipped into a battle-ready state. There were slackers, misfits, and weaklings in the crowd, easily spotted by their body language and her own, strange 'sixth sense'. Her gaze was consistently drawn back to the girl and her friend, surprisingly the only two girls in this group of cadets.

She could see the attitude and stubbornness in the redhead's pale green eyes, and the strength and calm collectedness in the raven-haired girl. She made a mental note to look into their files later. She also made another a few moments later when, after her introduction, she heard the redhead's comment. She zeroed in, and was not surprised when the girl merely met her gaze, smirked, and saluted along with the rest of the cadets.

 _That girl is going to be trouble_ , Stellaluna mentally sighed, already dreading the disappointment tomorrow's first training day would bring—cadets were _always_ below the standard level in just about everything.

 **Genna**

Once rooms were chosen, and belongings settled into the dorms, the cadets trailed to the cafeteria to eat dinner and then retreated to their assigned rooms to sleep and prepare for the following day. Genna was focused that night, ignoring Anjess' repeated calm requests that she sleep, making sure that she got her nightly workout routine completed, her weapons sharpened and polished, and her uniform spotless and crease-free. She was there to impress—she was there to succeed. Nothing would get in her way.

One way or another, she would reach her goal of being the best.

The first day of training, she proved herself the best swordswoman of the entire cadet group, with Anjess easily beating the rest for second. The next day, both she and Anjess tied at being the best at spell-casting using elemental materia, small orbs created by the planet's energy, with self-identifying colors that showed their type. The third day resulted in her earning the place of being best at using and directing summoning materia, managing to summon a monstrous Baheamut from beyond the Veil (a barrier separating the dimension magic and monsters came from). She also managed to set a rather annoying cadet's rear on fire.

Months flew by, and she soared up the ranks, Anjess by her side, becoming a 2nd Class Soldier within a year. She was the best wherever she went.

Except for the General.

The woman was infuriating; perfect in all ways. She was stronger, faster, and it frustrated Genna to no end. She couldn't achieve her goal, she couldn't succeed unless she was at or above the General's level. For three years, she worked hard to best the silver-haired woman, and finally she reached the rank she wanted—1st Class Soldier. A Super-soldier, with genetic enhancements to make her superior to all enemies the S.S.C. faced—but that was not without its struggles. She worked herself into the ground and pushed herself beyond any conceivable limits. Now directly under General Luna's command, she could observe her rival and find a way to beat her—to succeed.

Nothing could have prepared her for the General's response.

 **Stellaluna**

As Genna and Anjess rose through the ranks, Stellaluna was doing work of her own. Not only was she the general of the S.S.C.'s entire program, and the leader of their special operations unit, she was training and researching… and she was watching. Something about the two girls—the only other girls in the entire program—intrigued her.

Stellaluna was the S.S.C.'s best, and she had been created to be that way. She was a lab rat; her parents had been scientists, and had wanted the perfect offspring. She had been genetically modified before birth, and continually enhanced after. She was perfect. She had everything.

But she was missing something, something crucial that Genna had, but she didn't.

Friends.

She watched and waited for Genna Rhapsodious and Anjess Hewley to reach her at the top, as 1st Class Soldiers. And when they got there, she waited to see what Genna would do. When she realized that Genna was fighting to get to the very top, she knew what to do.

She was going to fight her. She was going to see what Genna was capable of.

And then she was going to invite them both to dinner.

 **Genna**

Genna couldn't believe it. She had fought the famed General Luna, swords clashing, steel sparking, muscles trembling with effort and strain. And they had _tied_.

She'd been promoted to Commander.

It wasn't good enough. She had to _win_ , she had to be the best.

As she stood there in the training room, chest heaving, facing an equally spent General, the other soldiers cheering for her success, shouting out her name—as if she had been the victor—she felt her inner self crumble.

She had become Commander, second to no one except the woman in front of her.

She was still second.

It wasn't good enough.

"Commander Rhapsodious."

The General's voice drew her from her quickly-darkening thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Meet me down at the Avenue tonight. Bring Sergeant Hewley. I've something I'd like to discuss with the both of you. Be there at 6, sharp," Stellaluna ordered.

Still breathing hard, all Genna could do was nod and salute before the General spun on her heel and left the training room. Confused, and distracted from her darkening emotional spiral, she also left, to clean up and call Anjess.

They all met at the corner of Loveless Avenue, the main street in the shopping district. General Luna, her iconic silver hair bundled under a hat, led them to a small diner. Once seated, she got right down to business.

"You two are incredible at what you do. You both are second to none, even with each other. I want you as part of my special forces unit. Not," she continued, eyes on Genna, effectively silencing her budding reply, "As soldiers, or even commanders. This army is too large for one General. I need you both as Generals."

Genna stared at her, and she kept talking.

"However, there are two conditions. One, we have monthly duels with each other. And two… you call me Stella when we're not on duty."

With Genna still slack-jawed, Anjess leaned across the table. "Then we're to assume that we'll be seeing each other besides missions?"

Stella nodded, the corners of her lips lifting up slightly. "There exist but two people who can rival me on even ground—you two. You've earned my respect, and, if you're willing to accept it, my friendship."

Before Anjess could reply, Genna finally found her voice. "Generals?"

With a small laugh, Stella nodded. "You are the best at many things. I'd hate to see such effort wasted."

"I think the same goes for you, though," Anjess said casually. At Stella's sharp and questioning look, she explained. "You don't hang around much. I assume you spend most of your time alone. You are one of the best of the best at fighting. But how have your relationships suffered because of it?"

There was tense silence before Stella closed her eyes, only to open them with a smile. "You are very observant. I think I will enjoy your company. And yours," she spoke to Genna. "You've a fiery personality, and a hard worker. I think we'll get along."

"Well," Genna sighed, though there was mischief in her eyes, "I guess we have to balance each other out somehow. But I'm _not_ going to stop being the best. Ever," she added.

Anjess merely rolled her eyes as Stella laughed. "So be it. Fireball," she teased.

While Anjess was busy being shocked that the Ice General even knew what jokes were, Genna smirked. "Snowball."

"Hot head."

"Freeze-face."

"Sparky."

"Guys, _enough!_ "

"…"

"… Ice-eyes."

" _Genna!_ "


End file.
